A blog by a man with significant sight loss and his encounters with the aid of his white stick (a long cane with a ball on the end). There is no guide dog, but the white stick can be 'anthropomorphisised'. Sometimes the white stick speaks.
If you're accessing this through a screen reader, you will need help in leaving a comment. I am now posting comments sent via Twitter in the comment section.

Sunday, 4 November 2012

The Judas Kiss by David Hare: Richmond Theatre

31st
October 2012

This
production of the Judas Kiss by David Hare has now gone on tour from the
Hampstead Theatre where it had been sold out.I had tried in vain to get a ticket for a matinee a few weeks ago and
waited till it opened in Richmond Theatre, Surrey.A friend booked through the ATG box office which
worked out well and we collected the tickets at Richmond Theatre.

I can recall
seeing David Hare’s play “Plenty” at the National Theatre in London when it
opened with Kate Nelligan in 1978.Hare’s work is well known for being anti- establishment, though this
play is rather more entertaining than a comment on politics.We do get Bosie trying to get his cousin, George
Wyndham an MP, to pull strings with the Attorney General and Asquith, the Home Secretary,
but Oscar Wilde has realised that fate has given him no choice.He does not want to ‘run like a fox’ and
decides to enjoy his lobster and rice lunch, while a clock ticks away, chiming
his lost moment to catch a boat train into exile.The first half ends with a loud knock on the
door.

In the second
half, Wilde, having served his prison sentence, joins Bosie in Naples.He spends much of his time sitting, only
rising for a final farewell with Bosie, and wondering out loud who is the real
Judas.

There are
some witty lines in this play.Ones that
I can remember include a reference to “a horizontal Uffizzi”, “a sunset with
topaz and orpiment colours” and Bosie describing Ross as always being “the
third party”.

The programme
has some interesting essays included along with the credits and
biographies.A timeline of Oscar Wilde is
provided covering the important events in his life and works.

Rupert
Everett gives an outstanding representation of Oscar Wilde and as far as I
could make out from listening there was no hammy acting.(I heard his latest autiobiography on BBC Radio4
Book of the Week and had not liked it, giving up after two instalments.) Freddie
Fox, who plays Bosie, is also believable as the son of a marquis.

A friend had
told me that there was quite a lot of full frontal nudity and I was able to
detect this from the dialogue.My friend
at the performance commented during the interval (chocolate ice cream at one’s
seat) that the nudity in the first half seemed to be a bit gratuitous.I said “Wait till you see the second half!”

I managed to
enjoy the play without the graphic description or even any audio
description.There are enough sound and
lighting cues to indicate time passing.Apparently the clock in the first half has no hands, but it does
chime.

About Me

I am blind and live in London. I get about with my white stick and with the help of TfL and the general public. I have access to much that the city offers. I have very understanding friends whose patience I test regularly. I don't have a guide dog because the local authority thought it would be unfair on the dog! I get really hacked off with 'intelligent' people who treat me like a foreigner and speak loudly and clearly as if I was deaf. I hate being touched as this can be misunderstood if you're blind.
If you’re sighted and visiting this blog, feel free to comment. If you’re blind and reading this through a screen reader, I am using JAWS 12 with some unreliable Windows products. If you can share any techi advice, please do so.
I am on Twitter (@profwhitestick) and with some help from a local charity I am road testing some assistive software via Freedom Scientific.
Otherwise I’m a normal blind person and find joy in the kindness of strangers and some sadness at the inability of acquaintances to refrain from aspects of non-verbal communication. A nod is as good as a wink to a blind man.
Languages: Deutsch, Francais, beagan Gaidhlig and some Khaleeji Arabic!